December 3, 2023; Landover, MD, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) drops back to pass during the first half against the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field. Photo Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports The Miami Dolphins reached agreement on a contract extension with Tua Tagovailoa on Friday afternoon.
This is a four-year contract extension, and Tagovailoa will remain with the Dolphins through the 2029-30 season. He will receive a salary of $212 million, which equates to more than $53 million per year. Of that amount, $167 million is guaranteed.
The deal makes Tagovailoa the richest player in Dolphins history, and he's worth every penny.
In an inflated quarterback market led by Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence, Tagovailoa has become the NFL's third-highest average annual salary quarterback.
Similar to Burrow and Lawrence, Tagovailoa brings structure and consistency to Miami's quarterbacks, moving them beyond the Ryan Tannehill and Josh Rosen era.
Tagovailoa needs to get the job done late in the season, and in the NFL playoffs, there's no question about that. He's 0-1 in the postseason after a tough loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last year.
But on promise alone, Tagovailoa's pairing with offensive guru McDaniel worked. Tagovailoa has improved every season since the Dolphins selected him fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He's dealt with his fair share of injuries but played all 17 games in 2023 and looked like an MVP candidate during that stretch. As long as Tagovailoa stays healthy, there's no reason to doubt his ability to lead the Dolphins quarterbacks to where they want to go, especially with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in uniform Down.
In an AFC league led by Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Burrow, the Dolphins absolutely need to re-sign Tagovailoa to stay fresh and in the next few years. compete for a playoff spot.
Tagovailoa has a 12-6 record against the AFC East throughout his career, and he needs to continue that streak. The Buffalo Bills retooled their offense. Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are firing on all cylinders. Just considering this tough game explains why the Dolphins felt the need to pay Tagovailoa, and his winning record helped him earn the money.
Last season, he started all 17 games and threw for more than 4,600 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Tagovailoa has been attending training camp with Miami as they work on this new contract, and his workload is expected to increase soon.
Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill Find your new contractHe seemed excited to hear the Dolphins took care of his franchise quarterback.
If the 26-year-old Tagovailoa continues to improve under McDaniel, the Dolphins' offense may truly be limitless.
If Tagovailoa leads them to the heights they want, we will discuss the next extension immediately.